Swainson's Hawk? - Lake Apopka

[fishwithfeet]

Merlin app is returning this as a Swainson's Hawk.  In was on the lake Apopka drive right near the entrance.  It had strange colors for a red-shoulder so I shot a few photos to ID later.


Could this be a Swainson's Hawk? It's to unheard of for one to be spotted in Florida, just extremely rare.

[Ira Runyan]

I don't think one should depend too much on the ID returned by the Merlin App. It seems to stumble on some of it's IDs.

In this case this bird appears to me to be a juvenile Osprey that has not developed all of it's adult coloration.

Swainson's Hawks are found in Florida, but for the most part if seen they are in the extreme south Florida area, although a friend of mine photographed one a few years ago here in Brevard County.

[fishwithfeet]

Thanks Ira!

I agree that this being a Swainson's Hawk would be unusual.

Looking at photos of birds of prey this morning I thought it may be a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk. Like in this link. The face looks the same.

goo.gl/images/5PoZUv

From the juvenile Osprey photos I've seen all the osprey already seem to have the "eye stripe"

[Ira Runyan]

  You are right, this is not an Osprey because the young Ospreys do have the "eye stripe".

I took your photograph and adjusted the light so that it was not so dark, thinking that may help ID the Bird.

The Results of your edited photo..........

I think that this bird is a Red Shouldered Hawk ..........